Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel Rouge, Perrin - Château de Beaucastel 2005

Really dense and locked up now, this is packed with dark fig, currant and blackberry fruit shrouded by layers of tar, hot stone, bittersweet licorice and espresso. The long, dense finish has a great tug of iron buried within it. Best from 2011 through 2030.

Ruby-red. Blackberry and cassis on the nose, with a complex set of earth, herb and floral qualities adding complexity. Deep and sweet, with bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors and youthfully firm tannins but no hardness. Turns more lively on the finish, picking up a spicy red berry character and leaving a long, pungent herbal trail behind. This needs time. "It's the opposite of a bimbo wine," Perrin offered.

Bright crimson. Firm and luscious and very, very gorgeous in terms of plush ripe fruit. Almost port sort of richess. You almost have to work at finding the tannins underneath. A pre-blend from demi-muid. Lovely stuff already! Drink 2012-22

Château de Beaucastel is located in the northeast of the appellation, and owns 100 hectares of vines that have been farmed organically for over 50 years. All possible red varieties are used for their classic red cuvée. It's beautifully perfumed, with aromas of potpourri and dried autumn leaves. A soft style, it has generous fruit sweetness and good balancing acidity, and this is drinking very well at 12 years of age - a real pleasure. It's very much a creature of its warm, dry, exceptional vintage, and unmistakably Beaucastel. (Drink between 2017-2023)

The 2005 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape, which is the standard blend of 40% Mourvedre, 40% Grenache, and the rest Syrah, Counoise, and the other permitted red varietals, exhibits a deep purple color and a sweet nose of blackberry, licorice, pepper, Chinese black tea, and considerable spice box and truffle. The wine is medium to full-bodied, and has terrific weight, richness, and moderately high tannins and crisp acidity. Like most 2005s in Chateauneuf du Pape, there is weight, power, richness, but also lots of vibrancy and delineation because of the fresh acids. This wine will require patience, and 4-5 years of cellaring is recommended, perhaps even longer. It will keep for 20+ years.

Really dense and locked up now, this is packed with dark fig, currant and blackberry fruit shrouded by layers of tar, hot stone, bittersweet licorice and espresso. The long, dense finish has a great tug of iron buried within it. Best from 2011 through 2030.